OAS History at a Glance   

April 30, 1948 - 21 countries of the hemisphere met in Bogotá, Colombia, to adopt the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), which affirmed their commitment to common goals and respect for each nation’s sovereignty. Since then, the OAS has expanded to include the nations of the Caribbean, as well as Canada.

The principles that embody the OAS grew out of a history of regional cooperation dating back to the 19th century.

• In 1826, the liberator Simón Bolívar convened the Congress of Panama with the idea of creating an association of states in the hemisphere.

• In 1890, the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., established the International Union of American Republics and its secretariat, the Commercial Bureau of the American Republics – the forerunner of the OAS.

• In 1910, this organization became the Pan American Union.

• In 1948, at the Ninth International American Conference, participants signed the OAS Charter and the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, the first international expression of human rights principles.

The transition from the Pan American Union to the OAS was smooth. The Director General of the former, Alberto Lleras Camargo, became the first Secretary General of the OAS.

1959 - Creation of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which went on to be come a key
player in the struggle against the hemisphere’s repressive regimes, and today continues to provide recourse to citizens who have suffered human rights violations.

1961 - Signing of the Charter of Punta del Este, which launched the Alliance for Progress, an ambitious cooperative program designed to strengthen democracy and achieve economic progress and greater social justice in the hemsiphere. OAS technical cooperation programs were expanded to meet new responsibilities.

1962 - Exclusion of the Cuban government from participation in the inter-American system. Cuba remains a member of the OAS, but its government still may not vote or participate in Organization activities.

1969 - Signing of the American Convention on Human Rights. This took effect in 1978, establishing the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, headquartered in Costa Rica.

1970 - Establishment of the General Assembly as the highest decision-making body of the OAS.

1977 - Signing of the Panama Canal Treaties at the OAS by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos.

1986 - Creation of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (known by its Spanish acronym, CICAD) to confront the growing problem of the consumption, production and trafficking of illegal drugs.

1991 - Adoption of Resolution 1080, which set up procedures to react to threats to democracy in the hemisphere. A key factor in helping to manage crises, Resolution 1080 has been invoked four times: in Haiti (1991), Peru (1992), Guatemala (1993) and Paraguay (1996).

1994 - Summit of the Americas in Miami. The hemisphere’s heads of state and government reaffirmed the role of the OAS in strengthening democratic values and institutions, and established a range of new roles and priorities for the Organization.

1996 - Establishment of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, designed to promote cooperation among countries in fostering development and combating poverty.

1996 - Adoption of a landmark anti-corruption treaty, the first international agreement of its kind.

1997 - Reform of the OAS Charter through the ratification of the Protocol of Washington. The agreement strengthens representative democracy by giving the OAS the right to suspend a member state whose democratically elected government is overthrown by force.

1997 - Signing of an inter-American treaty to combat illegal arms trafficking and production. Presidents Bill Clinton of the United States and Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico attended the signing ceremony.

1998 - Second Summit of the Americas in Santiago, Chile. The presidents and prime ministers of the hemisphere assigned to the OAS new mandates in areas including human rights, trade, education, anti-drug cooperation and summit follow-up.

1999 - Within CICAD, development of the basic framework for a Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism, which will measure progress in regional and national efforts against drugs.

OAS Member States

All 35 countries of the Americas have ratified the OAS Charter and belong to the Organization.

21 Original OAS Members (1948)

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States,
Uruguay, Venezuela

14 Subsequent Members

Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago (1967); Jamaica (1969); Grenada (1975); Suriname (1977); Dominica, Saint Lucia (1979); Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1981); The Bahamas (1982); St. Kitts and Nevis (1984); Canada (1990); Belize, Guyana (1991).

BACK TO MODEL OAS